sherm363: Aug 3rd, Looks like Mardi Gras!

Old Town Bend, OR. Beautiful buildings. 1st Fridays the city has an Art Walk, Wine tasting in many businesses, and a couple dozen or more groups and individuals playing music. Many Upscale restaurants serve on the sidewalks

Most were very talented. It would be hard to spend much time with just one group, there were so many

The main street and several side streets are just loaded. Bikes and streets rods are cruising too

There were many people just dressed in their best. Some were dressed just for the impact. Lots of skin and some very interesting tattoos. I enjoyed watching some of the older people really getting into the fun

Pat, Pat, and Paul. Middle Pat is Bonnie's sister, we know them from Yuma

Jim and Bonnie were set up in front of a "Head Shop" kind of record store .
They played a lot of Gospel and Country music, the people seemed to really enjoy it. Paul is picking on the bucket bass

Bonnie has a beautiful voice. Jim does too, but doesn't sing much. He can play several instruments, and plays them all very well

We were set up next door to the old Tower Theater, where a movie was playing

The main action lasts from around 5:30 until around 9 PM. But, the town is busy until late at night. Pat and I walked around some, she liked some of the ladies clothing stores. You would think Bend is a larger city. It's around 100,000, but seem like it's much larger

Amazing how crowded it was. Happens once a month. I'd sure go back!

Bend is very clean, and there are flowers in bloom everywhere. They have 4 City Parks, all well groomed and interesting. And, more nice restaurants than you could try in several months!

It's nice to see so many people getting together and having fun

Should photoshop the exposure on most of these. Using an inferior camera this trip. Took a LOT of pictures, but deleted 90% of them. And, used restraint on taking more interesting "people" pictures. :-)

This group was advertising a play there in the Down Town area

One of the best groups. That young lady could really play the wash tub!

Quite a contrast to that last group

This was pretty mild compared to some!

Spotted this cap in the back of a very nice '54 Ford. Talked to the guy wearing it. He only spent one 4 hear hitch, and never went to sea. But he still likes his hat :-)

Bonnie had a visit from her Grandkids. They are all real cuties!

Lavender likes her "Papa"

She looked a little like a very tall hooker

The last time I saw action lke this was on Bourbon Street in the Quarter .

There were 3 or 5 of these "tall" people walking the streets

You can say they were "head and shoulders" aboue the crowd. And, a few more body parts too.

Getting late as we went down Tin Pan Alley

Pat is checking out some of the entertainment

Bonnie's Son works here in the Lone Pine Coffee Company

3 year old Lavender is sporting a new tattoo. I think it will wash off

One of the more lively alleys. There was a very "high speed" group, and aobut a dozen people shaking everything they could shake

A "Booze Cruise". Each person has pedals that gear drive the wheels. There are a few passengers in the middle too. The harder they peddled, the more they drank

Inside a book store. She was very good. Just taking a short break here

The light are coming on

After leaving the down town action, Jim drove us to the top of Pilot Butte. Good view of the valley. That's the 3 sisters, and Broken top Mountain. Mount Bachelor, the tallest, is next in line, but I didn't get it in the picture. The full moon was coming up on the other side, but I screwed up the pictures of it